Metal stud wall packaging system

ABSTRACT

A stud wall framing system having a number of studs, and a floor and a ceiling track that are marked at spaced intervals to indicate the location of the studs when erected.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to wall structures, and more particularlyto stud wall frames.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Due to their ease of assembly and wide availability in various standardsizes, metal wall frames are quickly becoming the product of choice formost “do-it-yourself” handymen and wall installers. Metal wall framesprovide an ideal and economical alternative to the wood wall frames, asthey are more robust, lightweight, non-combustible, and easy to install.In addition, each metal wall frame is consistently manufactured and doesnot deviate from the standard manufacturing guidelines, which in turntranslates into lesser imperfections and straighter finished walls.

An example of commonly available metal stud framing system is the CORUSSTEEL FRAMING SYSTEM™ available from Corus Metal Profiles of Brampton,Ontario, Canada. Metal stud framing systems that are sold bymanufacturers such as CORUS are typically distributed in packs ofidentical components to wholesalers and distributors. For example, thewall components will be distributed in 10 pieces of identicalfloor/ceiling tracks, 10 pieces of studs, etc.

Such distribution system could be inconvenient for the “do-it-yourself”handymen and the home supply or hardware stores that offer theseproducts, as they frequently require less than all the parts found in apack. This often results in the packs being broken open in the stores,and sometimes results in damaged and unusable products.

Another difficulty associated with existing wall frames is the timespent at the supplier store by the customer to find various componentssuch as the floor and ceiling tracks, wood or metal studs, and variousfasteners required for erecting the wall frame, as well as determiningthe number of these required components. An average handyman musttherefore determine exactly what and how many components to retrieve andpurchase for the wall framing project. This may require a novice wallinstaller an excessive amount of time spent to locate the components,and sometimes numerous trips to the hardware store in order to gatherall of the necessary components for erecting the wall frame. Thecustomer may end up with excess and unwanted components. Moreover,although these items are generally found in hardware and home supplystores, they may be stocked or shelved in different areas of the storewhich makes the task of retrieving the required components even moredifficult.

Yet another difficulty associated with existing wall structures is thatit is often required for a wall installer to constantly measure and markthe distance between the studs in order to ensure that the wall frame isproperly supported. This is not only cumbersome, but also quite timeconsuming as it requires the wall installer to place down his or herwall framing tools, measure and mark the location of the next stud onthe floor or ceiling track, pick up his or her wall framing tools andproceed with securing the subsequent stud. The task of marking thelocation of the studs is more tedious in extreme weather conditions.

Accordingly, there is a need for a wall framing system whereby thecomponents are sized and conveniently regrouped for the customer. Thereis also a need for a wall framing system in which the need for thecustomer to make measurements is minimized.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a wall framing packaging system for metalstud walls which addresses the shortcomings associated with knownsystems.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a multi-component modularsystem which includes all the essential components for use inconstruction of metal stud wall frames of a predetermined size, namely,a floor track, a ceiling track, a plurality of studs and fasteners. Thefloor and/or ceiling tracks may be marked to indicate the location ofthe studs for fast construction of the wall frame.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method ofdistributing framing materials for a wall section of predetermineddimensions, including the steps of:

-   -   (a) providing a plurality of elongate framing studs each having        a length that is at least sufficient for a height of the wall        section;    -   (b) providing a plurality of elongate ceiling and floor tracks,        each track defining a channel for receiving and securing ends of        the framing studs to form the wall section;    -   (c) selecting, from the plurality of framing studs, at least a        number of elongate framing studs required for framing the wall        section using a predetermined stud spacing;    -   (d) selecting, from the plurality of ceiling and floor tracks,        at least an amount of ceiling and floor track required for the        wall section; and    -   (e) securing the selected framing studs and floor and ceiling        tracks together unassembled in a transportable bundle.

In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a stud wallframing kit of unassembled components for framing a predetermined wallsection. The kit includes a predetermined number of elongate framingstuds, the predetermined number being at least the number of framingstuds required for framing the predetermined wall section using apredetermined stud spacing. The kit further includes an elongate ceilingtrack and an elongate floor track each having channels for receivingends of the framing studs, at least one of the ceiling track and floortrack having a plurality of visible markings along a length thereof atspaced intervals for indicating desired locations for the framing studs.

Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparentto those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the followingdescription of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction withthe accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which show, byway of example, a representative embodiment of the present invention,and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical wall which has been partiallyframed using the metal stud wall packaging system of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a metal stud wall packaging systemaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the sequence of steps involved inassembling a metal stud wall packaging kit according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a table for marking the tracks toindicate the locations of the studs according to the present invention;and

FIG. 5 is a top elevational view of a table incorporating a press formarking the tracks to indicate the locations of the studs according tothe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is now described with reference to accompanyingdrawings, wherein like constituent elements are designated by likereference numerals throughout the drawings.

Reference is now made to FIG. 1 which shows a perspective view of atypical wall which has been framed using the metal stud wall packagingsystem. As well known in the art, the metal stud wall frame 10 includesa ceiling track 14, a floor track 16, and spaced metal framing studs 11vertically secured therebetween. The studs 11 are generally C-shapedchanneled members and come into intimate contact with the sidewalls oftypically U-shaped ceiling track 14 and floor track 16. Fasteners 12(shown on the ceiling track 14 only) such as framing screws are used tosecure the studs 11 to the ceiling track 14 or floor track 16. Thesidewalls of studs 11 may also define knurled flanges to securely holdscrews fastening a wall panel 15 to the stud wall frame 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the studs 11 are transversely spaced at spacedintervals 17 measured between the center of the studs 11. The spacedintervals 17 are generally 16″ or 24″, however, their actual lengthdepends on the wall framing application. According to a novel aspect ofthe present invention, for ease of installation, at least one sidewallof the floor track 16 is marked uniformly at spaced intervals 17 toindicate to the wall installer the intermittent spacing between thestuds 11. This in turn eliminates the need to manually measure thelocation of each stud 11, thereby allowing rapid construction in eveninclement weather conditions and reducing construction project time. Themarkings 19 indicating the spaced intervals 17 between the studs 11 aremade using adhesive stickers, dye, painting, making dimples on eitherthe ceiling track 14 or the floor track 16, or other similar means formarking sheet metal. Although the ceiling track 14 can also includemarkings 19, preferably only the floor track 16 has the markings 19.However, even if both the ceiling track 14 and floor track 16 includethe markings 19, they can still be perfectly aligned upon leveling ofone stud located on both indicators.

The studs 11 are preferably sized to dimensionally match wood studs andare typically available in 1{fraction (5/8)}″×3{fraction (5/8)}″,1{fraction (5/8)}″×2{fraction (1/2)}″ or 1{fraction (5/8)}″×1{fraction(5/8)}″ thickness and width dimensions corresponding to 2×4, 2×3 or 2×2wood studs respectively, depending on the application. Other4″×1{fraction (5/8)}″, 6″×1{fraction (5/8)}″ or 8″×1{fraction (5/8)}″can also be available corresponding to 2×4, 2×6, 2×8 wood studs. Theceiling track 14 and floor track 16, as well as the studs 11, are madeof corrosion-resistant, galvanized steel sheet or like materials. Astiffening channel (not shown in FIG. 1) can be employed to improve thestructural rigidity of the metal stud wall frame 10. The stiffeningchannel can pass through one of the rows of aligned apertures 24provided on the studs 11. The apertures 24 can also be conveniently usedfor passage of electrical wiring, pipes, or other structural members(not shown) through the studs 11.

The studs 11 may be implemented using regular metal wall studs, however,other types of studs such as cripple studs, jack studs, king studs orany other kinds may also be used.

According to preferred embodiments of the invention, all the componentparts required by an installer to install a predetermined size offraming may be packaged together as a kit. Referring now to FIG. 2,there is shown a metal stud wall packaging system indicated generally byreference 30, which when assembled, would result in the wall frame 10 ofFIG. 1 according to the present invention. The metal stud wall packagingsystem 30 is in a kit format and includes a ceiling track 14, a floortrack 16, and a plurality of metal studs 11. In particular, thepackaging system 30 includes the amount of metal framing required toframe a wall section of a predetermined size. For example, each system30 could include one 10′ ceiling track 14, one 10′ floor track 16 andeight 8′ metal studs 11, for framing a wall section having anappropriate size of 8′ high by 10′ long, with 16″ stud spacing 17. Themetal stud wall packaging system 30 preferably also includes framingscrews 12 for attaching the studs 11 to the tracks 14,16. Other types offasteners such as rivets may also be used to connect the studs 11 to thetracks 14,16.

The framing screws 12 may be put in a container such as a bag 40 orother package which is secured by tape or adhering to one of the metalframing components in the packaging system 10. The bag 40 will includeat least the number of framing screws 12 required to assemble the wallsection. Other fasteners, for example at least a screw 13 to fasten theceiling track 14 to the ceiling joists, or at least a screw 18 requiredto secure the floor track 16 in place, may also be included in packagingsystem 30. In a similar fashion, screws 20 for attaching the wall panel15 to the stud 11 may also be provided in the packaging system 30.Advantageously, the various components of the metal stud wall packagingsystem 30 can be packaged together by nylon straps 32, 34 or other meansof packaging such as cable ties, metal wraps, plastic bags or the like.

The packaging system 30 may also include a stiffening channel 36, andpreferably also include an instruction sheet 38 which outlines the stepsnecessary for erecting the wall frame. The instruction sheet 38 may alsoserve as a label for the metal stud wall packaging system 40. Forexample, the instruction sheet 38 may include marketing information inone portion of an outer side, and the instructions in another portion oron the inner side.

In a preferred embodiment, the instruction sheet may containinstructions advising the installer to take the following steps forerecting the wall frame structure: For installation, the wall installermust first mark the location for the ceiling track 14 and floor track 16on a floor and ceiling respectively. The installer must then cut theceiling track 14 and floor track 16 at the appropriate length. The nextstep involves attaching the ceiling track 14 to the ceiling joist usinga fastener such as 1{fraction (1/4)}″ drywall screws at 2 ft. intervals.In a similar fashion, the installer must also attach the floor track 16to the floor using a fastener such as 1{fraction (1/4)}″ screws at every2 ft. interval for wood floors. For concrete floors, the floor track 16is attached to the floor using concrete fasteners or nail drive anchorslocated at 2 ft. intervals on the floor track 16. The installer mustthen retrofit the studs at the spaced intervals 17. This is achieved byfirst cutting the studs 11 approximately {fraction (1/2)}″ shorter thanthe distance L between the ceiling track 14 and floor track 16. Thestuds 11 are positioned at the spaced intervals 17 as indicated bymarkings 19, between the ceiling track 14 and floor track 16 by twistingand friction fitting. A close but not necessarily tight fit is desirablein order to permit slight movement of the studs 11 for adjustment. Alevel is used to level one stud 11. The studs 11 are then secured ontothe ceiling track 14 and floor track 16 by framing screws in accordancewith the indicator markings 19. The wall frame 10 can then besubsequently covered with a wall panel 15 made of drywall, wood, plasticor other similar paneling materials.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown the sequence of steps involvedin assembling a metal stud wall packaging system 30 of FIG. 2 in amodular kit according to the present invention. A first step ofassembling the metal stud wall packaging system 30 of the presentinvention involves the step of obtaining from one or more wall framecomponent suppliers various fasteners, as well as bundles of pre-packedstuds 11, ceiling or floor tracks 14,16 or stiffening channels 36 (StepS1). These various components are then separated, sorted (if required)and regrouped in individual quantities for kits (Step S2). For instance,a typical kit may include ten studs 11, a ceiling track 14, a floortrack 16, a stiffening channel 36, and a bag 40 containing fastenermeans as required for erecting the wall frame structure 10 as shown inFIG. 1. The fastener means may include 1¼″ screws for securing theceiling and floor tracks 14, 16 to a ceiling and floor, as well as{fraction (7/16)}″ pan head framing screws to secure the studs 11 to theceiling and floor tracks 14, 16.

The next step involves the marking of the ceiling track 14 and floortrack 16 to indicate the locations of the spaced intervals 17 by way ofmarkings 19 (Step S3). The location of the markings 19 corresponds tothe designated positions of the studs 11 when erected. The variouscomponents of the kit are then packaged together (Step S4) fordistribution (Step S5). Accordingly, the ceiling track 14, floor track16, metal studs 11, stiffening channel 36, and bag 40 are then packedtogether and wrapped using nylon wrappers 32, 34. Preferably, theinstruction sheet 38 wraps around a portion of the entire kit.

The kits may be directly delivered to home hardware stores or homesupply retailers (Step S7), or in the alternative, sent back to the wallframe supplier (Step S6) to be eventually delivered and distributed tothe home hardware stores or home supply retailers (Step S7).

Reference is now made to FIGS. 4 and 5 wherein a table 50 for markingspaced intervals 17 on a ceiling track 14 or a floor track 16 (as shownin FIG. 1) is illustrated. The table 50 includes a tabletop 52 having afirst recessed area 54 for supporting the ceiling track 14 or the floortrack 16 therein. The first recessed area 54 includes rails 56 attransversely spaced locations along the bottom wall 58 of the firstrecessed area 54 to allow the ceiling or floor track 14, 16 to freelymove along the length of the tabletop 52. The tabletop also includes asecond recessed area 64 wherein an indicator press 60 therein can movelongitudinally along the length of the tabletop 52 and parallel to thefirst recessed area 54. The second recessed area 64 also comprises rails66 to allow longitudinal movement of the indicator press 60 along thelength of the tabletop 52. The indicator press 60 is secured to thetabletop 50 by movable securing means 70 such as a vise clamp, brace,clip or the like, and includes a position indicator 72. The positionindicator 72 comes in registry with the reference ruler 68 to show theexact position of the indicator press 60.

The tabletop 52 is also provided with a reference ruler 68 for accuratepositioning of the press 60 when marking the ceiling track 14 or thefloor track 16. To mark the ceiling or floor tracks 14, 16, a track 16is inserted in the first recessed area 54. Using the reference ruler 68,the location of the first marking 19 (as shown in FIG. 1) is determined,and the indicator press 60 is secured to the tabletop 52. The indicatorpress 60 is then mobilized in order to make the marking 19 on the rail16. The indicator press 60 is then positioned at the desired location ofthe second marking 19, secured to the tabletop 52 and triggered in orderto mark the position of the second marking 19. The foregoing steps arerepeated until the track 16 has been marked.

It should be noted that in an alternative embodiment, the indicatorpress 60 and the recessed area 52 may be located on top on the tabletop52.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Certainadaptations and modifications of the invention will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art. For instance, in some embodiments wood studs insteadof metal studs could be used. Therefore, the presently discussedembodiments are considered to be illustrative and not restrictive, thescope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims ratherthan the foregoing description, and all changes which come within themeaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended tobe embraced therein.

1. A method of distributing framing materials for a wall section ofpredetermined dimensions, the method including the steps of: (a)providing a plurality of elongate framing studs each having a lengththat is at least sufficient for a height of the wall section; (b)providing a plurality of elongate ceiling and floor tracks, each trackdefining a channel for receiving and securing ends of the framing studsto form the wall section; (c) selecting, from the plurality of framingstuds, at least a number of elongate framing studs required for framingthe wall section using a predetermined stud spacing; (d) selecting, fromthe plurality of ceiling and floor tracks, at least an amount of ceilingand floor track required for the wall section; and (e) securing theselected framing studs and floor and ceiling tracks together unassembledin a transportable bundle.
 2. The method of claim 1 including, prior tostep (e), providing a plurality of visible markings at spaced intervalsalong a length of at least one of the ceiling and floor tracks forindicating desired locations for the framing studs.
 3. The method ofclaim 2 wherein the visible markings are selected from the groupconsisting of adhesive stickers, permanent dye, paint, and embosseddimples.
 4. The method of claim 2 including providing and using amarking table for applying the visible markings to the track, that tablehaving means for securing the track in a stationary location, andmarking means movable relative to the track for applying the visiblemarkings at the spaced intervals.
 5. The method of claim 1 includingproviding a plurality of stiffening channels for stiffening the wallsection, and selecting from the plurality of stiffening channels atleast an amount of stiffening channel required for the wall section, andstep (e) includes securing the selected amount of stiffening channeltogether with the framing studs and floor and ceiling tracks in thetransportable bundle.
 6. The method of claim 1 including providing aplurality of framing stud fasteners for securing the framing studs tothe ceiling and floor tracks, and selecting from the plurality offraming stud fasteners at least a number of framing stud fastenersrequired to complete the wall section, and step (e) includes securingthe selected number of framing stud fasteners in the transportablebundle.
 7. The method of claim 6 including providing a plurality of wallboard fasteners for securing wall board to the wall section, andselecting from the plurality of wall board fasteners at least a numberof wall board fasteners required to complete the wall section accordingto predetermined criteria, and step (e) includes securing the selectednumber of wall board fasteners in the transportable bundle.
 8. Themethod of claim 7 including providing a plurality of track fasteners forsecuring the floor and ceiling tracks to support surfaces, and selectingfrom the plurality of track fasteners at least a number of trackfasteners required to complete the wall section according topredetermined criteria, and step (e) includes securing the selectednumber of track fasteners in the transportable bundle.
 9. The method ofclaim 1 including providing a plurality of instruction sheets providinginstructions for assembly of the wall section and step (e) includessecuring one of the instruction sheets to the transportable bundle. 10.The method of claim 1 including, after step (e): (f) providing thebundle to a commercial outlet for sale to an end user.
 11. The method ofclaim 1 wherein steps (a) and (b) include acquiring the framing studsand ceiling and floor tracks from a third party supplier, and including,after step (e): (f) providing the bundle to the third party supplier.12. The method of claim 11, including after step (f): (g) providing thebundle to a commercial outlet for sale to an end user.
 13. A stud wallframing kit of unassembled components for framing a predetermined wallsection, including: a predetermined number of elongate framing studs,the predetermined number being at least the number of framing studsrequired for framing the predetermined wall section using apredetermined stud spacing; and an elongate ceiling track and anelongate floor track each having channels for receiving ends of theframing studs, at least one of the ceiling track and floor track havinga plurality of visible markings along a length thereof at spacedintervals for indicating desired locations for the framing studs. 14.The framing kit of claim 13 wherein the framing studs and ceiling andfloor tracks are arranged substantially parallel to each other andsecured together in a bundle.
 15. The framing kit of claim 14 whereinthe framing kit includes an instruction sheet providing instructions forassembly of the predetermined wall section.
 16. The framing kit of claim14 wherein the instruction sheet is provided on a wrapper that surroundsa portion of the bundle.
 17. The framing kit of claim 14 wherein thevisible markings are provided on both the ceiling and floor tracks. 18.The framing kit of claim 14 wherein a container containing apredetermined number of framing fasteners for securing the framing studsto the ceiling and floor tracks is secured to the bundle, thepredetermined number of framing fasteners being at least the numberrequired for completing the predetermined wall section.
 19. The framingkit of claim 18 wherein a predetermined number of wall board fastenersare included with the bundle, the predetermined number of wall boardfasteners being at least the number required for securing wall board tothe predetermined wall section according to predetermined criteria. 20.The framing kit of claim 13 wherein the tracks and studs are steel.